Gretchen Ruben, author of the terrific Happiness Project book, posted seven tips for good social interaction, written by Desiderius Erasmus around 1500 A.D. in his book De Civilitate Morum Puerilium Libellus: A Handbook on Good Manners for Children:
According to Erasmus, you should not…
1. gossip
2. tell unkind stories
3. boast
4. indulge in self-display
5. seek to defeat others in argument
6. interrupt people when they tell a story
7. be too inquisitive
Gretchen added two more to the list:
8. don’t “top” (meaning, don’t say things like, “Wow, you think that was bad, wait until you hear what happened to me”)
9. don’t keep bringing the conversation around to your favorite topics if other people don’t seem as obsessively interested in them as you are.
